THE QUEEN
IS DEAD: LONG LIVE THE KING"Victoria, our beloved Queen is no more.
Where if we search around the circumference of
our not insignificant planet shall we discover
one who throughout such a long life has been so
highly distinguished and so justly venerated and
admired?"

There was reference to the time
the Queen and her mother, the Duchess of Kent,
had driven through Ashton on their way to Chatsworth.
This was while she was still a girl, sometime
about 1830, before the advent of the railway.

Victorias death caused the
cancellation of a number of social events, including
a meeting of the Ashton Photographic Society,
the Conservative Ball and a concert by Mr Charles
SAUNDERS at Ashton Town Hall.

There was a genealogy reference
in a column outlining the new kings ancestral
line back to Egbert, the first sole king of England.

ALLEGED THEFT OF SCRAP IRON
AT BARDSLEYJoseph BOYLE and Patrick KILLORAN were accused
of stealing scrap iron from Messrs LEES and Sons
at their Wheatfield Ironworks.

It was alleged that KILLORAN had
been the first to help himself to the scrap and
that he was then joined by BOYLE with another
cart. Samuel LEES claimed to recognise the scrap
in their carts and called the police. The pair
were arrested separately shortly after.

BOYLE said that he was a tub dealer
and that he had met KILLORAN on Oldham-road and
that he had asked him to help unload a cart laden
with castings. The road was rough and close to
the ironworks, they stopped and transferred half
a ton of scrap onto BOYLEs cart to relieve
the horse.

Their solicitor said that while
it might appear suspicious, it had not been proved
that the scrap was not rightfully theirs. The
bench agreed and the two were discharged.

A SPOILT CONTINENTAL HOLIDAYAshton solicitor, Mr G FISH, was suing the Great
Central Railway to the tune of £19 14s 6d for failing
to deliver a bicycle from Manchester to Geneva.
He and his friend, Dr PEARSON had planned a bike
tour on the continent, intending to start in Geneva
and then making their way to Marseilles and Genoa.
Sadly, their bikes didnt arrive and after
waiting three days, they returned home. The judge
ruled that the company was liable. THE ASHTON UNION AND THE
SETTLEMENT OF A LUNATICThe Ashton Union were in court to decide who
should pay for "the settlement of a lunatic
named Martha BAND aged 50, formerly of 7 Cross-street,
Hollingworth." Martha had become insane in
1897 and was moved from her home to Ashton Workhouse
and from there to Macclesfield Asylum where she
still remained. Up to May 1900, the cost of her
care had been met from her own savings and were
now being paid for by the Ashton Union.

The Unions covered a certain area
and would meet the care costs for those living
there who couldnt afford to meet them themselves.
Those costs were then recharged to the appropriate
county council. Martha had been born in Woolley
Bridge and had lived in the Parish of Glossop
for 40 years. This would have meant that the costs
would have been met by Glossop Union and Derbyshire
County Council, but matters were complicated first
by the fact that she had moved house shortly before
her illness and by the Local Government Act of
1894 which had split Glossop, putting Charlesworth
in Cheshire. The judge ruled that the costs should
be paid by Glossop Union.

Frederick ASHWORTH of Syddall-street,
Hyde alleged that two Ashton men had attempted to
rob him as they shared a cab after a nights
drinking. He said that he had been in the Brunswick
Hotel and had asked the landlord to order a cab.
When asked if he had any money, he had joked that
he had £30 to £40. He said that he wasnt drunk,
but that he was "well on the way".

He was joined in the cab by Ernest
REVILL and William WALKER, both of Ashton, though
why wasnt clear. ASHWORTH said he started
to doze, but claimed to be aware of what was going
on around him. He said he felt hands in his pockets
and took this as an attempt to rob him.

The case had previously been adjourned
to allow the landlord to give evidence. Since
then, ASHWORTH had left town and the prosecutor
said he had no further evidence to give. A warrant
was issued for the arrest of ASHWORTH, while REVILL
and WALKER were remanded on bail.

BRUTAL ASSAULT BY COLLIERS
AT DUKINFIELDWilliam and John MURPHY and John HUGHES all
Dukinfield colliers, were in court charged with
fighting in King-street and of assaulting Detective
Constable MOTTERSHEAD. It happened at 5.30pm on
Saturday. DC MOTTERSHEAD had heard sounds of a disturbance
and went to investigate. He found William MURPHY
fighting with an unknown man. He tried to separate
them when he was attacked by the three men who knocked
him down and began to "belabour him in a most
brutal fashion, kicking him around like a football."

The assault was made worse by the
fact that shopkeepers and other neighbours had
looked on, but done nothing to help the unfortunate
policeman. Only Percy DAVIES, a butcher of 31
King-street had tried to intervene and was also
attacked for his pains. The three attackers were
fined 40s or one month in prison.